PRESIDENT BUSH: Mr. President, and Mrs. Kufuor, and family members;
members of the Cabinet, Mr. Vice President; members of Congress;
distinguished guests: Thank you all for coming. Laura and I are really
happy to host you tonight. And we're particularly happy to host President
Kufuor and Mrs. Kufuor. After all, we were in their country last February,
and it was a unbelievable visit -- in spite of my lousy dancing.
(Laughter.) Mrs. Kufuor was my partner, and she can testify to my lousy
dancing. (Laughter.)

The memories of the trip will always stay with us, Mr. President. It was a
great experience. You're the President of a country of such great
potential, and you're the President of a country of such wonderful people.

We really do want to -- I hope you relax tonight for this special evening.
After dinner we'll go out to the Rose Garden for a -- interesting
entertainment.

John and I will be joining the Ex-Presidents Club in a couple of months.
(Laughter.) But I am confident we have left behind an enduring
relationship between our two countries. We are -- we worked hard to help
the people of Ghana. Because of his integrity and because of his
leadership, I was confident in proposing the Millennium Challenge Account
for the country of Ghana.

We're working hard to fight disease together. In this room are
compassionate people who care deeply about the citizens of your country,
John. And we want to thank you for your compassion and thank you for
coming. We care deeply about the education of people all across the globe.
John, you've helped your people build a thriving democracy, where the rule
of law is respected. And as well, you've taken a leadership role on the
continent of Africa.

I thank you for your wise counsel and your judgment on how the United
States can work to promote peace. I really have greatly enjoyed serving
with you in an historic era. I have confidence that the next Presidents of
both our countries will be able to work together.

In the meantime, I offer you a toast. I wish you all the best in your
retirement. I have loved being in your presence. And so, a toast to the
President and his gracious wife, Theresa, and the people of Ghana.

(A toast is offered.)

PRESIDENT KUFUOR: Mr. President, and Mrs. Laura Bush; distinguished ladies
and gentlemen. I think after two speeches today already, I shouldn't do a
third one, especially in this atmosphere in which I feel so at home and so
among friends. What is left for me to say is that, from my experience of
this leader of the United States over the past seven and a half years, I'm
forced to conclude that he's a great man, he's a strong man, a very
compassionate man. And he's helped Africa in ways that perhaps would list
him as perhaps the most supportive of the American Presidents Africa has
had the opportunity to interact with. (Applause.)

Yes, we know he's going through some terrible angst, but perhaps it's to be
expected of the leader of the most powerful nation in the world at this
time of events for the globe. The world is in flux now. It's yet to
stabilize, given the rapid changes happening all around us. And we are all
engulfed in the spread of power -- the division of power among the
continents. All the nations are moving forward and asserting themselves to
share in power.

Until, say, about 20 years ago, the world was divided on bipolar basis --
two superpowers. Now, since then, the United States shot up as the
uni-polar power. But so soon, even the United States must cede this place
of power to the rest of the world. Other nations are coming up very fast.
Geopolitics are changing very fast. And nature itself is also changing
very fast.

If humanity would hold its place, it seems all of us might begin to share
together -- to move together into the global village. And the movement
should be on the backs of science and technology, in which the United
States is still the leader.

We look up to the leadership of the United States to perhaps develop a new
vision -- new vision for the global village, so it might help humanity as a
whole to move into the village, to live by values that will be shared not
on basis of might, but on basis of just helping humanity, letting everybody
feel they are part of the show.

When you are a leader in such a situation, such a flux, naturally you
suffer many knocks all over the place. And the perhaps highest quality
expected of the leader is to stay the rough and tumble of the changes that
must be faced. And I believe this leader is doing very well, in spite of the many challenges that engulf him now.

So I would resume my seat, wishing successful ending of his tenure of the
United States President, and then also a very resourceful retirement. He's
offered that -- to develop an institute in his tribal home of Texas,
and that when I retire I would be welcome in that realm. I look forward to
that. It would make two of us because we assumed office the same year,
2001, and we are retiring together again, same year, by end of this year.
So perhaps we are two of a kind. (Laughter.)

I wish him very well and great success. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

Ladies and gentlemen, may I request that we all drink a toast to this great
man.